Toy building-block.



0. R. TROJE.

TOY BUILDING BLOCK.

A PLICATION FILED MAR. 30. I917.

1 $36,234., Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET l- 6 AV A 0. R. TROJE.

TOY BUILDING BLOCK APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 1911.

/ Patent-ed Aug. 7, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

oscan. n. Tnom, or ENSLEY, i

TOY BUILDING-BLOCK.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR R. TROJE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ensley, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy BuildingBlocks; and I do declare the following-to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it 'appertains to make and use the same.

.This invention relates generally to toys, but more particularly tocertain new and usefulimprovements in toy building blocks.

The primaryobject of the invention is to provide a toy building blockwith means whereby when it is used with other blocks in building up astructure of practically any form, the blocks will be held. together insuch a way that the structure will not be easily demolished by jarringor otherwise.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy building block whichcan be used in connection with other similar blocks to form complexstructures and ones of peculiar formations, the blocks being providedtelligence and skill is required in assembling a structure with theseblocks.

A still further object of the invention is to generally improve upondevices of this character by the provision of an extremely sim-,

p1e, strong, durable and inexpensive construction, and one which will beefiicient and reliable in operation, and well adapted to the purpose forwhich it is designed.

With these and numerous other objects in several forms of the inventionare shown Figure 1 is a view of a eometrical figure formed with thebuilding locks;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the same, portions of thebuilding blocks Specification of letters Patent.

Patented Aug. '7, 19M.

- Application filed March 30, 1917. Serial No. 158,646.

. being broken away and in section to show the interior construction ,ofthe same,

Fig; 3 is a perspective view of one of the building blocks;

.' Fig. 4 is a similar view of another form of block Fig. 5- is a sideelevation of a portion of a wall structure formed with a plurality ofblocks of .a modified form;

Fig. 6 is a front view of one of the modified forms of block, thecorners of the block being broken away to show the interior construction thereof;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a further form of block, illustratingthe manner in which several of them may be assembled;

Fig. 8 is a similar view of an arch in the act of being formed, andillustrating an additional form of block;

Figs. 9 and 10 are perspective views of a monumental structure formed ofblocks showing the same in the act of being assembled and completelyassembled respectively;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of still fur-" ther modifications, used inassembling an ornamental post or column;

Figs. 12, 13, 14 and 15 are views'of other modifications; an

Fig. 16 is a front elevation of a wall and arch or gateway constructedwith the various forms of blocks shown in the other figures of thedrawings.-

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fi 1, 2 and 3 of thedrawings, the buildgerspective .ing b ock 1 is of diamond-shaped configuration, and is provided with openings 2 which extend transverselythrough theblock. These openings are arranged parallel to each other,and also parallel with the transverse axis of the block, that is, theyare arranged parallel with the transverse plane passing through theopposite corners of the block. These openings 2 are here shown as beingdisposed substantially midway of the apices of the block and thetransverse axis thereof, although it is to be understood that they maybe disposed at any points between these parts. Fitted within theopenings 2 are permanent bar magnets 3. These magnets 3 extendcompletely through the block and have their ends or in fact their polefaces cut off angularly and disposed flush with the sides of the same.The north pole of one of the magnets 3 is disposed on the side adjacentthe side at which the southpole of the other ma net is disposed. Hence,when another bui ding block of this same construction is disposedadjacent this one, it will only be retained in position when one of themagnets therein is disposed in almement with one of the magnets in thisblock and is turned so .thatthe south pole of themagnet in the secondblock is arranged adjacent the north pole of the magnet in the firstblock or vice versa, this being due to the well known attraction andrepulsion of unlike magnetic poles and like poles respectively.

The same principle may be used in constructing a triangular-shaped blocksuch as is also shown in Fi s. 1 and 2 and also in Fig. 4 of thedrawings. In thiscase, the block 4 is provided with two equal sides 5and 6 which converge at an acute angle, and an opening 7 which extendsthrough the block between the sides and being arranged parallel to thebase of the block disposed substantially midway of said base and theapex of the block. A structure may be as- .sembled with thesetriangular-shaped blocks in the same manner as one ma be assembled withthe diamond-shaped bloc s.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a hexagonal figure is formed with bothtypes of blocks, the diamond-shaped blocks 1 forming the major part ofthe structure, while the triangular-shaped blocks 4 are disposed betweenthe upper and lower projecting portions or halves of the diamond-shapedblocks. This merely illustrates how building blocks of difierent shapesand formations may be used together.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, a slightly modified form of theinvention is shown, in which the blocks 8 are of squareshapedconfiguration and the magnets are disposed closer to the oppositecorners or apices thereof than in the two former cases. The advantage ofa block of this construction will be apparent by referring to Fig. 5wherein a portlon of a wall constructed with the square-shaped blocks isshown. While the wall could e formed with the diamondshaped andtriangular-shaped blocks, yet this would be rather tedious and would notbe as apparent to the limited knowledge of children.

In Fig. 7 a square-shaped block 9 is shown, but it is to be understoodthat the same principle may be used in connection with other shapedblocks, and in this form two opposite edges of the block are notched outas at 10 and the magnets 11, which in this case are of square-shapedconfiguration in cross section instead of being circular as in theformer cases, are embedded in these notched out portions. The magnets 11may be attached to the blocks and held in their embedded relation to thesame by any suitable means, but the application of a suitable glue orcement is the preferable manner nally therethroug in which to do this.As before, the magnets extend in opposite directions, that is, the northpole of one magnet is disposed adjacent the side at which the south poleof the other magnet is disposed, and vice versa.

In Fig. 8 of the drawings, a pair of columns is shown formed from blocksof the construction just described, and placed above these columnsa ndready to be set upon the upper ends of the same is a block 12 of sub.-stantially semi-circular shape in front view. The lower or straight edgeof this block 12 is notched away as at 13 and a pair of magnets 14 areembedded in the notches and attached to the block. These magnets extendthe entire length of the block and have their like poles disposed atopposite ends of the same. The poles of the magnets of the blocks 9.willattract the unlike poles of the magnets of the block 12 and hold thelatter in position to form an arch as shown in Fig. 8' of the drawings.

In Figs. 9 and 10 a pyramidal-shaped block 15 is shown, two oppositeedges of which are notched out and provided with comparatively short barmagnets 16. The

unlike poles of these magnets are disposed adjacent the base of theblock to adapt it i of cylindrical shape and provided with a centrallyextending opening 18 in which is fitted a bar magnet 19. These blocksmay be used in assembling a column, and if desired, this may be cappedby a ball or spherical-shaped block 20 provided in the same manner witha bar magnet.

Fig. 12 illustrates another form of block 21 of rectangularconfiguration having bar ma nets 22 equal in length to the Width of saidblock and equal in thickness to the thickness of thesame and attached tothe ends thereof by glue or cement.

Additional modifications of the invention are shown in Figs. 13 and 14of the drawings. The blocks here are of rectangular configuration, theblock shown in Fig. 13 having an opening23 extending longitudi-' and inthis opening is a bar magnet 24, while the block shown in Fig. 14 isprovided with a pair of transversely extending openings 25 having barmagnets 26 'fittedtherein. This latter form may be eflectively used inbuilding 'a wall structure with the ordinary broken? brick the magnet atthe other end of the adjacent block.

If desired, the semi-circular block 12 shown in Fig. 8 of the drawingsmay be provided at its ends with transversely extending magnets 27. Inthis case, the ends;

of the block are cut away, and one of the sides of the magnets arecurved to form a continuation of the curved side of the block, the othersides of the magnets being straight and forming a continuation of thestraight side of the block. Fig. 15 illustrates such modification.

In Fig. 16 of the drawings, an architectural structure in the form of awall having a gate or archway therein is shown made up of several formsof building blocks con structed in the manner above described. This viewalso illustrates a modified form of the circular block 12, wherein thelatter is provided with a magnet 28 embedded in the top of the same, andthe use of such magnet.

' While the invention is primarily intended for use in assemblingarchitectural structures as shown in Fig. 16, yet it may be just asreadily and effectively used for forming geometrical figures, one ofwhich may partake of the nature of a hexagon as shown in Fig. 1. Hence,it is to be understood that the use to which the invention is put is notto be limited in anymanner whatsoever.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, use and advantages of theinvention will be apparent. It will be seen that the objects sought havebeen effectively carried out, as the blocks when assembled together willadhere to one another in such a manner that the structure will not beeasily broken down or demolished by slight jarring.

Furthermore, by having the, magnets extending in opposite directionsthrough the blocks, that is, with their like poles disposed adjacentdiiferent sides thereof, the blocks will have to be fitted together in aparticular way before they will adhere, and hence a certain amount ofintelligence and skill is required to assemble a structure.

Obviously, many other modifications as to form, proportion, and otherdetails of construction may be resorted to without departing from thespirit of the invention, and hence it is to be understood that theclaims do not limit the invention to the exact construction herein shownand described.

I claim I 1. A toy building block having a permanent magnet attachedthereto, said magnet being of suflieient magnetic strength to attachsaid block to another building block.

2. A toy building block having a permanent magnet embedded therein, saidmagnet being of suflieient magnetic strength to at tach said block toanother building block.

3. A toy building block having a permanent magnet embedded therein andhaving one exposed side.

4. A toy building block having a permanent magnet embedded therein andhaving 'one exposed side disposed flush with a side of the block.

5. A toy building block having a permanent magnet embedded therein andhaving two sides disposed flush with two sides of the block.

6. A toy building block having a permanent magnet embedded therein andhaving three sides disposed flush with three sides of the block.

7. A toy building block having a permanent magnet disposed at one of itsedges, the ends and outermost sides of the magnet being disposed flushwith' the adjacent ends and sides of the block.

8. A toy building block having permanent magnets at two of its edges,the ends and outermost sides of the magnets being disposed fiush withthe adjacent ends and sides of the block.

9. A toy building block having a groove at one of its edges, and apermanent magnet disposed in said groove and having its ends andoutermost sides disposed flush with the adjacent ends and sides of theblock.

10. A toy building block having a pair of permanent magnets attachedthereto and extending in different directions. 11. A toy building blockhaving a pair of my hand.

OSCAR R. TROJE.

